ACADA

Friday, 10 June 2016

ALARMING! 47 percent of University of Zimbabwe students HIV+

The University of
Zimbabwe (UZ) has moved to limit inter-residence visits between male and female
students after almost half of the students who underwent HIV testing, tested
positive.

The
startling revelation came as a result of voluntary HIV testing that took place
at Zimbabwe's oldest tertiary institution, with 47% of the students testing
positive for the virus.

Confirming the results,
UZ Vice Chancellor Levi Nyagura said that criticism of his management style
would not deter him from limiting contact between male and female students as
well as strongly advising against promiscuity.

"The grim statistics
of sexually transmitted diseases at the institution have forced us to have a
limit for inter-residence visits between female and male students. We have
consulted lots of parents and all of them do not want to promote promiscuity by
allowing students to enjoy married lifestyles by staying with their girlfriends
in the halls of residence," Nyagura said.

Jimmy Wilford, Director
of SayWhat, an organisation set to raise awareness around HIV, expressed
concern over Nyagura's stance on the matter, claiming that his heavy-handedness
could send out the wrong message due to some students who may have been born
with the disease.

The development came
after recent claims that students at Zimbabwe's Midlands State University (MSU)
had exhibited reckless sexual behaviour, leading to an increase in the
prevalence of HIV at the institution.

According to The Herald,
Mambewu Shumba, Provincial Co-ordinator for National Aids Council Midlands,
condemned the allegedly aggressive sexual behavior of MSU students, claiming
that they were a major contributor of an increase in HIV prevalence in the
Gweru area of the country.